1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trocar assemblies and, more particularly, to an adapter for use in trocar assemblies and a trocar element that mates therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Following certain surgical procedures, such as hip and/or knee surgery, blood and other bodily fluids often accumulate in body cavities at the site of the surgery and are retained in body tissues, or adjacent thereto, until they are drained. Such fluids are typically drained with drainage tubes that are implanted during the surgical procedure for use in a post-operative setting. Conventionally, such drainage tubes are comprised of a piece of flexible poly vinyl chloride (PVC) tubing having a series of regularly spaced pores or perforations formed therein. In practice, the tubing is threaded through the site of the surgery by an attached needle-like device called a trocar and is thereafter configured in such a fashion as to permit fluids, such as blood, to either be drained or positively drawn therefrom.
A problem that occurs in the use of such a conventional trocar assembly is that the trocar, which is typically fabricated of a cylindrical piece of metal having a sharp point at one end and barbs at the other end, and the tubing are force/friction fit together at the barbed end of the trocar in such a manner that prevents their direct separation. Consequently, the tubing and the trocar must be separated by cutting the tubing thereby leaving a portion of the tubing still attached to the trocar. This manner of separation prompts physicians to discard the trocar when the surgical procedure is completed. This is both wasteful and uneconomical as the materials from which a trocar is conventionally manufactured are valuable and the cost of replacing a trocar, when considered on a volume basis, can be very high. A more economical approach would allow a trocar to be reused following sterilization.
Although not specifically directed toward the use of trocars, there are several patents that are directed toward attaching the end of a flexible tube or a catheter with other medical related devices. For example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,432,764 by Lopez, 5,092,849 by Sampson, 5,205,821 by Kruger et al., 5,147,336 by Wendell et al., 5,215,538 by Larkin, and 5,074,846 by Clegg et al., devices are disclosed for adapting to or mating with the ends of tubes and/or catheters. A brief description of these devices will now be given.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,764, an antiseptic end cap for a catheter is disclosed having an adapter member with a first outwardly threaded end and a second reduced diameter end for frictional engagement with a flexible tube. The adapter member is used in combination with a cap member that mates with the threaded end of the adapter member.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,849, an implantable device is disclosed having an adapter element with a first outwardly threaded end and a second frictional fit end for frictional engagement with a flexible tube. The adapter element is used in combination with a septum element that mates with the threaded end of the adapter element.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,821, a terminal reservoir capping device is disclosed having a tube connector element with a first outwardly threaded end and a second frictional fit end for frictional engagement with a flexible tube. The tube connector element is used in combination with a capping member that mates with the threaded end of the tube connector element.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,336, an adapter kit for a catheter introducer is disclosed having a female luer adapter with a first outwardly threaded end and a second frictional fit end for frictional engagement with a flexible tube. The female luer adapter is used in combination with a male luer cap that mates with the threaded end of the female luer adapter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,538, an in-line valve for medical tubing is disclosed having a multi-component unit displaying a threaded engagement means at one end.
Lastly, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,846, a stoma creator is disclosed having first and second frictional fit ends for frictional engagement with flexible tubes of varying diameters.
Although all of the above-mentioned prior art devices allow for adapting or mating with the ends of tubes and/or catheters, none are directed toward the use of trocars nor are they concerned with the reusability of trocar assemblies. Furthermore, none of the above-described devices disclose the specific construction of the adapter and mating trocar element of the present invention, which will now be described.